Geographic Coordinates: 400N, 7200 W
Map references: South America
Area: Total (Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank) - 1,138,910 sq km, Land-1,038,700 sq km, Water-100,20 sq km
Area Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land Boundaries: Total- 6,004 km, Border Countries: Brazil 1,643km, Ecuador 590 km., Panama 225 km., Peru 1,496 km., Venezuela 2,050 km.
Coastline: 3,208 km. (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km., North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km.)
Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m.
Note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation
Natural Resources: petroleum, Natural Gasnatural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds,
Natural Hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts
Environment Current Issues: deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, from vehicle emissions
Geography Note: only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Major cities in Colombia are Barranquilla, Cali, Medellin, Bogota, Cartagena, and Cucata.
The government of Colombia is a Liberal Democracy, which means they are also an unlimited government. Like the USA, the Colombian government also has separation of powers and checks and balances. The president of Columbia elected by the people to a four-year term, heads Colombia's government. The vice president also is elected by the people for one four-year term. Colombia is divided into 32 departments and the Capital District, which consists of Bogotá. Each department has a governor and an assembly, and a mayor and city council govern the Capital District.
Two parties, the Conservative Partyand the Liberal Party , have long dominated Colombian politics. Both parties follow moderate policies.
President Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Colombia has four judicial bodies that are equal in rank. The Supreme Court of Justice is the highest court of criminal and civil law. The Council of State is the highest court of administrative law. The Constitutional Court is the highest court for constitutional matters and international treaties. The Superior Judicial Council administers the government's judicial branch and disciplines judges. Colombia has four judicial bodies that are equal in rank. The Supreme Court of Justiceis the highest court of criminal and civil law. The Council of State is the highest court of administrative law. The Constitutional Court is the highest court for constitutional matters and international treaties. The Superior Judicial Council administers the government's judicial branch and disciplines judges.
Colombia has an army, a navy, and an air force. All men 18 years old must register for the military draft.
Currently, Colombia has a free market economy. For the past 15 years they have been changing from a highly regulated economy.
Most of Colombia's legal exports are textiles, oil, clothing and footwear, chemicals, cement, gold, coal, emeralds. They export most of these goods to the U.S. and Venezula. Their economy relies heavily on agriculture. Their work force in 2009 was 21.53 million. Colombia is the 5th largest exporting market to the U.S. Their current form of currency is the Colombian Peso. Their GDP per capita is currently $5,416.
The U.S. government and the Colombian Government are working together to stop drug trade. Colombia's population is 45,012,096 people as of 2008.
Drug Trafficking: Drugs are an illegal substance United States and in Colombia. In the 1970's, Colombia was Heavily involved in Mirajuana trade. They are currently involved with Cocaine, a drug made from the Cocoa leaf. Colombia is currently the world’s principal producer and distributor
of refined cocaine, the vast majority of which (70 percent) is exported
to the U.S. market.
The Balloon Effect:
The balloon effect is a term that refers to squeezing one end of a balloon only to see it bump out somewhere else. To describe drug crops where if you force on of the major drug industries to lower their production, somewhere else in the world there will be more made. In the past twenty years, the coca cultivation has shifted from Peru and Bolivia to Colombia, and then places to other places within Colombia. With prices changing, reporters have witnessed an increase in the price of coca paste in the past few months. It still is unlikely that this increase will affect the price and availability of cocaine in the United Sates, for a simple reason: the balloon effect is still there.
Pre Columbian Period
During the pre-Columbian period, the area now known as Colombia was populated by native societies that were located at different stages of development.
Spanish Settlement and Colombia's Independence
Santa Marta was the first permanent Spanish settlement founded in 1525. Founded in 1538, Santa Fe de Bogota became the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717, which included what are now Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panma. Bogota was one of three main
Old Santa Fe de Bogota
administrative centers of the Spanish possessions in the New World. Because of Spanish conquest, spanish is Colombia's official language.
On July 20, 1810, the citizens of Bogota created the first representative council to defy Spanish authority. Full independence was proclaimed in 1813, and in 1819 the Republic of Greater Colombia was formed to include all the territory of the former Viceroyalty (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama).[[@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simón_Bol%C3%ADvar| Simon Bolivar]] was elected its first president with Francisco de Paula Santander as vice president. Conflicts between followers of Bolivar and Santander led to the formation of two political parties that have since dominated Colombian politics. Bolivar's supporters, who later formed the nucleus of the Conservative Party, sought strong centralized government, alliance with the Roman Catholic Church and a limited franchise. Santander's followers, forerunners of the Liberals, wanted a decentralized government, state control over education and other civil matters, and a broader suffrage.
Each party held the presidency for roughly equal amounts of time throughout the 19th and early 20th century. Colombia continued a tradition of civilian government and regular, free elections. Despite the country's dedication to democratic institutions, Colombia's history also has been described by widespread, violent conflict. Two civil wars resulted from bitter rivalry between the Conservative and Liberal parties. The War of a Thousand Days (1899-1903) claimed an estimated 100,000 lives and La Violencia (the Violence) (1946-1957) claimed about 300,000 lives.
La Violencia (Spanish for The Violence) and the National Front The assassination of Liberal leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan in 1948 stimulated the bloody conflict known as La Violencia . Conservative Party leader Laureano Gomez came to power in 1950, but was overthrown by a military coup led by General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla in 1953. When Rojas failed to restore democratic rule and became caught up in dishonest plots, he was overthrown by the military with the support of the Liberal and Conservative Parties. The alliance between former Conservative President Laureano Gomez (1950-53) and former Liberal President Alberto Lleras Camargo (1945-46) led to the creation of the National Front in July 1957. It established a power-sharing agreement between the two parties and brought an end to "La Violencia." The presidency would be determined by regular elections every that were held 4 years, and the two parties would have equality in all other elective and appointive offices. In 1978, the system was phased out.
Post-National Front Years The Columbian government made efforts to negotiate peace with the guerilla organizations that were abundant in Columbia’s rural areas during the post national front. Conservative President Belisario Betancur tried to negotiate a cease-fire with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (or FARC) and the Democratic Alliance (or M-19) in 1984. The National Liberation Army (ELN) rejected the government's cease-fire proposal. The M-19 pulled out of the cease-fire when in 1985. After 115 people were killed because of the attacks, the government and the M-19 renewed their truce in March 1989, which led to a peace agreement and the M-19's reintegration into society and political life. The M-19 was one of the parties that participated in the process to enact a new constitution, which took effect in 1991. The FARC ended the truce in 1990 after some 2,000-3,000 of its members who had demobilized had been murdered.
Constitution
A copy of the Colombian Constitution
In 1991, a new constitution brought major reforms to Colombia’s political organizations. Even though it preserved a three branch system of government ran by a president, it made a new organizations such as the Inspector General, a Human Rights Ombudsman, a Constitutional Court and a Superior Judicial Council. It also reestablished the position of Vice President. Aside from this, other significant constitutional reforms provide for civil divorce, dual nationality and the establishment of a legal mechanism ("Tutela") that allows individuals to appeal government decisions that are affecting their constitutional rights.The constitution also allowed the introduction of a strict system of criminal justice that is slowly being organized throughout the country, replacing the previous written system. A constitutional amendment that was approved in 2005 allows the president to hold office for two consecutive 4-year terms. Drug Cartels
Colombian Police Forces destroying cocaine crops
In 1933, after Colombian security forces killed the Medellin cartel leader Pablo Escobar in December, random acts of violence linked with his organization declined as the "cartels " were broken into multiple and smaller trafficking organizations that competed against each other in the drug trade. Guerrillas and paramilitary groups also entered into drug trafficking as a way to finance their military operations.
Pastrana Administration
The administration of Conservative [[@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrés_Pastrana_Arango|President Andres Pastrana]] (term: 1998-2002) faced increased national attacks by the FARC and the
President Pastrana
ELN, widespread drug production, and the expansion of paramilitary groups. “Plan Colombia ” was unveiled by the Pastrana administration in 1999 as a stradegy to deal with Colombia’s problems and looked for support from the world. Plan Colombia was a broad program to combat narco-terrorism, encourage economic recovery, strengthen democratic institutions, prompt respect for human rights, and provide humanitarian assistance to Colombian refugees.
Uribe Administration Independent [[@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Álvaro_Uribe|President Alvaro Uribe]] was elected in May 2002 with a goal to restore security in Colombia. Uribe released a national security strategy in the fall to 2002. It employed political, economic and military means to weaken all illegal armed groups. The Uribe government offered to establish a peace agreement with these groups with the condition that they would agree to an unbroken cease-fire and to end drug trafficking and kidapping.
The Colombian United Self-Defense Forces (AUC) paramilitary group entered into a peace agreement with the government that has led to the discharge of over 31,000 AUC members in December 2003. More than 20,000 members of the FARC, AUC, ELN, and other illegal armed groups have individually surrendered their arms. President Uribe signed the Justice and Peace Law, which provides reduced punishments for the discharged if they renounce violence and return illegal assets, in July 2005
Since 2000, the FARC has not carried out large scale multi-front attacks, although it has mounted some operations that indicate it has not yet been broken -- including the December 2009 kidnapping and killing of the governor of the department of Caqueta.
In May 2006, President Uribe was reelected with 62% of the vote. In congressional elections, the three leading pro-Uribe parties (National Unity, Conservative Party, and Radical Change) won clear majorities in both houses of Congress.
Colombian leaders presented a new strategy to consolidate gains under Plan Colombia, which eventually became known as the National Consolidation Plan (Plan Nacional de Consolidación, PNC) in January 2007.
Relationship With USA Colombia
US President Obama and Colombian President Uribe
maintains an excellent extradition [[@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia_–_United_States_relations|relationship with the United States]] . The Uribe administration has extradited over 1,000 fugitives to the United States. In 2004, the Uribe government established, for the first time in recent Colombian history, a government presence in all of the country's 1,099 municipalities (county seats).
Plans For The Future Although much attention has been focused on the security aspects of Colombia's situation, the Uribe government also is making significant efforts on issues such as expanding international trade, supporting alternate means of development, strengthening rule of law, protecting human rights, promoting governance, and reducing poverty. Colombia is currently holding elections for a new president and the results of this election will be on May 31, 2010.
Home to almost three million people, the most important cultural event in Cali, Colombia is the Cali’s Fair or La Feria de Cali, which occurs from December 25th to January 1st. It is a celebration of the region’s cultural identity and is known for its Salsa marathon, horse riding parades, and dance parties. This is a fair that has been celebrated since 1957, from December 25th to December 30th.
Carnaval de Barranquilla
During February 13th-16th, you will find the streets of Barranquilla crowded with people having a great time. 4 days before Ash Wednesday, it is largely recognized as one of the world’s largest Carnivals.
Here you will find pictures, video, additional links and information about the city of Barranquilla. Barranquilla is a wonderful city that's rich in culture, music and life.
During the Barranquilla Carnival, the people make dazzling parades of colorful costumes, salsa, music, and dances. There are two lucky people who will be chosen a few months before the parade to act as a queen and a king. The Guacherna is on the Friday night before the Carnival week and it is a lantern parade with dancers in costumes that starts a bunch of parades. Saturday features the Battle of Flowers float parade while the float on Sunday is dedicated to the traditional folklore groups from the shore of the Magdalena River. There are also dances like the Garabato where dancers wearing straw hats and white face paint perform an elaborate dance about life and death. On Monday, live bands have a competition for the Gold Congo prize at the Orchestras Festival. When all the dancing calms down, the mysterious figure of Joselito Carnical disappears with the ashes on the last day of the carnival which is Tuesday. Both sober and drunken tears are shed.
Tourism Colombia is a current nation, with a network that takes benefit of its natural resources and human capital. On Colombia it has amazing site-seeing locations; all the environments of the tropics are present: glaciers, beaches, plains, rainforests, and deserts. It is complicated to choose from among the many destinations Colombia has to offer. But whatever the decision is, there is a magnificent journey coming up.
The main destinations are San Andres, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santander, Medellin, Bahia Solano, Nuqui, Café triangle, Bogota D.C., Cali and Valle del Cauca, and Amazon. The total amount of tourist each year is about 1.27 million outsiders visited Colombia in 2007, up from 1.05 million in 2006 and only 567,000 in 2002. The 2007 figure was in line with the 1.3 million foreign visitors the administration predicted.
Religion Until the new constitution in 1991, Roman Catholicism was Colombia's official religion. According to federal law, "there is no official or state religion", but it does add that the State is "not atheist or agnostic, nor indifferent to Colombians' religious sentiment." Some interpret this law with the meaning that the Roman Catholic Church keeps a privileged position; however, the 1994 constitutional court decision declared unconstitutional any official government reference to religious characterizations of the country. According to a national poll distributed by the nation's leading newspaper, 'El Tiempo ' , 81% of the people are Roman Catholic. About 14% belong to other Christian denominations. Other religious faiths or movements include Judaism, Islam, Animism, other various beliefs, and atheism. A number of Afro-Colombians, practice a religion which combines elements of Catholicism with African animism. Dress
Formality increases as you move inland with clothing. It is a priority to adopt conservative business attire inland. Suits in dark colors are preferred. Women should dress conservatively and modestly: a suit or dress. Casual and traditional attire is acceptable outside the business world.
Behavior
In Colombia, business people typically prefer a relaxed conversation before business. Traditionally, lunch is the main meal of the day and a popular choice for a business meal. Likewise, the person who invites guests to the meal will pay for it at the restaurant, but sometimes they fight over who pays the check as a courtesy. When Colombians toast, they let the host make a toast first, then they might make another toast themselves. When visiting a Colombian, avoid propping your feet up on a table or other piece of furniture. A visiting woman must also be careful about making any glances or gestures that might be considered flirtatious.
Communication
When doing business, handshaking is the common greeting. Colombians take a long time while greeting because they feel it conveys respect for the other person. However, when a Colombian is among friends the typical greeting is a hug, or the abrazo. When addressing a Colombian, use their direct title (ex: a Ph.D or a pediatrician is called a Doctor). Titles are important and should always be printed clearly on business cards. In Colombia, teachers prefer the title Professor, engineers go by Ingeniero, architects are Arquitecto, and lawyers are called Abogado. People who do not have professional titles should be adressed as Mrs., Miss, or Mr. In spanish these are:
Mr. = Senor
Mrs. = Senora
Miss = Senorita
When having a casual conversation, Colombians love to talk about coffee , history, culture, soccer (or football),bullfighting , and gold museums. Colombians do not like to talk about drug traffic, politics, and religion.
Houses
Here are some pictures of typical Columbian houses: Music
The country of Colombia has a variety of music . The people in the different parts of the country are linked with different kinds of Colombian music. The major kind of music in Colombia is the African music, the European music, and the music that originally belongs to the country of Colombia. The Andinan region is famous for the sort of music called Bambuco. It is the music connected with the farmers of the country. The Atlantic coastal region is well-known for the type of Colombian music commonly referred to as Vallenato. Salsa is a style of music that has originated in New York by the combination of the school of music termed Afro-Caribbean and the rock music and Jazz created in North America. Colombia has produced a couple of good salsa artists like Alvaro jose Arroyo. The different varieties of music that you get to hear in Colombia toss a light on the cultural multiplicity of the country.
Sports Culture In Colombia, soccer (or football in Spanish) is a big part of their culture. Their soccer team is nicknamed Los Cafeteros (The Coffee Makers in Spanish) because of the major role Colombia has in the Coffee production industry. The team was founded in 1924 and has affiliated with FIFA since 1936 It is run by the Colombian Football Federation and is a member of CONMEBOL , and their team captain is Mario Yepes. Arnoldo Alberto Iguarán Zúñiga is the team's top scorer, and other notable players on the team include Juan Pablo Ángel, Faustino Asprilla, Iván Córdoba, Óscar Córdoba, Alfredo Di Stefano, Andrés Escobar, Giovanny Hernández, Sergio Herrera, René Higuita, Aly Faryd Camilo Mondragón, Luis Amaranto Perea, Freddy Rincón, Carlos Valderrama, and Adolfo Valencia. They won the Central American Cup in 1946, a cup they would win again in 1970, and won the American Cup in 2001. Their original jersey colors are yellow, blue, and red, and their alternate jersey colors are blue, white, and yellow. They currently rank 34 in the FIFA rankings (2010) . Colombia's home soccer stadiums are Estadio El Campín, Estadio Atanasio Girardot, and Estadio Roberto Melendez
Here is a video that shows how Colombia's soccer team made history in Buenos Aries, Argentina when they won 5-0 against Argentina.
Columbia
Table of Contents
Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
Geographic Coordinates: 400N, 7200 W
Map references: South America
Area: Total (Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank) - 1,138,910 sq km, Land-1,038,700 sq km, Water-100,20 sq km
Area Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land Boundaries: Total- 6,004 km, Border Countries: Brazil 1,643km, Ecuador 590 km., Panama 225 km., Peru 1,496 km., Venezuela 2,050 km.
Coastline: 3,208 km. (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km., North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km.)
Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m.
Note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation
Natural Resources: petroleum, Natural Gasnatural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds,
Natural Hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts
Environment Current Issues: deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, from vehicle emissions
Geography Note: only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Major cities in Colombia are Barranquilla, Cali, Medellin, Bogota, Cartagena, and Cucata.
Geography of Colombia Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0JbXbau7Hs&feature=player_embedded
Pictures of some geographic locations.
Here are some links for further reading.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Colombia
http://www.mapsofworld.com/country-profile/colombia.html
http://geography.howstuffworks.com/south-america/geography-of-colombia.htm
Government
The government of Colombia is a Liberal Democracy, which means they are also an unlimited government. Like the USA, the Colombian government also has separation of powers and checks and balances. The president of Columbia elected by the people to a four-year term, heads Colombia's government. The vice president also is elected by the people for one four-year term. Colombia is divided into 32 departments and the Capital District, which consists of Bogotá. Each department has a governor and an assembly, and a mayor and city council govern the Capital District.
Two parties, the Conservative Partyand the Liberal Party , have long dominated Colombian politics. Both parties follow moderate policies.
Colombia has four judicial bodies that are equal in rank. The Supreme Court of Justice is the highest court of criminal and civil law. The Council of State is the highest court of administrative law. The Constitutional Court is the highest court for constitutional matters and international treaties. The Superior Judicial Council administers the government's judicial branch and disciplines judges. Colombia has four judicial bodies that are equal in rank. The Supreme Court of Justiceis the highest court of criminal and civil law. The Council of State is the highest court of administrative law. The Constitutional Court is the highest court for constitutional matters and international treaties. The Superior Judicial Council administers the government's judicial branch and disciplines judges.
Colombia has an army, a navy, and an air force. All men 18 years old must register for the military draft.
Taxes
Here is a link to a website that displays the taxation in Colombia:
http://www.doingbusiness.org/ExploreTopics/PayingTaxes/Details.aspx?economyid=46
Here are some links fore further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Colombia
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35754.htm
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/co-colombia/gov-government
http://www.gobiernoenlinea.gov.co/home_ciudadanos.aspx
Currently, Colombia has a free market economy. For the past 15 years they have been changing from a highly regulated economy.Economics
Most of Colombia's legal exports are textiles, oil, clothing and footwear, chemicals, cement, gold, coal, emeralds. They export most of these goods to the U.S. and Venezula. Their economy relies heavily on agriculture. Their work force in 2009 was 21.53 million. Colombia is the 5th largest exporting market to the U.S. Their current form of currency is the Colombian Peso. Their GDP per capita is currently $5,416.
The U.S. government and the Colombian Government are working together to stop drug trade. Colombia's population is 45,012,096 people as of 2008.
Drug Trafficking:
Drugs are an illegal substance United States and in Colombia. In the 1970's, Colombia was Heavily involved in Mirajuana trade. They are currently involved with Cocaine, a drug made from the Cocoa leaf. Colombia is currently the world’s principal producer and distributor
of refined cocaine, the vast majority of which (70 percent) is exported
to the U.S. market.
The Balloon Effect:
The balloon effect is a term that refers to squeezing one end of a balloon only to see it bump out somewhere else. To describe drug crops where if you force on of the major drug industries to lower their production, somewhere else in the world there will be more made. In the past twenty years, the coca cultivation has shifted from Peru and Bolivia to Colombia, and then places to other places within Colombia. With prices changing, reporters have witnessed an increase in the price of coca paste in the past few months. It still is unlikely that this increase will affect the price and availability of cocaine in the United Sates, for a simple reason: the balloon effect is still there.
Here are some links for further reading.
http://www.coltrade.org/
http://www.colombiaemb.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58vleO1Qv7s&feature=player_embedded
Pre Columbian PeriodHistory
During the pre-Columbian period, the area now known as Colombia was populated by native societies that were located at different stages of development.
Spanish Settlement and Colombia's Independence
Santa Marta was the first permanent Spanish settlement founded in 1525. Founded in 1538, Santa Fe de Bogota became the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717, which included what are now Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panma. Bogota was one of three main
On July 20, 1810, the citizens of Bogota created the first representative council to defy Spanish authority. Full independence was proclaimed in 1813, and in 1819 the Republic of Greater Colombia was formed to include all the territory of the former Viceroyalty (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama).[[@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simón_Bol%C3%ADvar| Simon Bolivar]] was elected its first president with Francisco de Paula Santander as vice president. Conflicts between followers of Bolivar and Santander led to the formation of two political parties that have since dominated Colombian politics. Bolivar's supporters, who later formed the nucleus of the Conservative Party, sought strong centralized government, alliance with the Roman Catholic Church and a limited franchise. Santander's followers, forerunners of the Liberals, wanted a decentralized government, state control over education and other civil matters, and a broader suffrage.
Each party held the presidency for roughly equal amounts of time throughout the 19th and early 20th century. Colombia continued a tradition of civilian government and regular, free elections. Despite the country's dedication to democratic institutions, Colombia's history also has been described by widespread, violent conflict. Two civil wars resulted from bitter rivalry between the Conservative and Liberal parties. The War of a Thousand Days (1899-1903) claimed an estimated 100,000 lives and La Violencia (the Violence) (1946-1957) claimed about 300,000 lives.
La Violencia (Spanish for The Violence) and the National Front
The assassination of Liberal leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan in 1948 stimulated the bloody conflict known as La Violencia . Conservative Party leader Laureano Gomez came to power in 1950, but was overthrown by a military coup led by General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla in 1953. When Rojas failed to restore democratic rule and became caught up in dishonest plots, he was overthrown by the military with the support of the Liberal and Conservative Parties. The alliance between former Conservative President Laureano Gomez (1950-53) and former Liberal President Alberto Lleras Camargo (1945-46) led to the creation of the National Front in July 1957. It established a power-sharing agreement between the two parties and brought an end to "La Violencia." The presidency would be determined by regular elections every that were held 4 years, and the two parties would have equality in all other elective and appointive offices. In 1978, the system was phased out.
Post-National Front Years
The Columbian government made efforts to negotiate peace with the guerilla organizations that were abundant in Columbia’s rural areas during the post national front. Conservative President Belisario Betancur tried to negotiate a cease-fire with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (or FARC) and the Democratic Alliance (or M-19) in 1984. The National Liberation Army (ELN) rejected the government's cease-fire proposal. The M-19 pulled out of the cease-fire when in 1985. After 115 people were killed because of the attacks, the government and the M-19 renewed their truce in March 1989, which led to a peace agreement and the M-19's reintegration into society and political life. The M-19 was one of the parties that participated in the process to enact a new constitution, which took effect in 1991. The FARC ended the truce in 1990 after some 2,000-3,000 of its members who had demobilized had been murdered.
Constitution
In 1991, a new constitution brought major reforms to Colombia’s political organizations. Even though it preserved a three branch system of government ran by a president, it made a new organizations such as the Inspector General, a Human Rights Ombudsman, a Constitutional Court and a Superior Judicial Council. It also reestablished the position of Vice President. Aside from this, other significant constitutional reforms provide for civil divorce, dual nationality and the establishment of a legal mechanism ("Tutela") that allows individuals to appeal government decisions that are affecting their constitutional rights. The constitution also allowed the introduction of a strict system of criminal justice that is slowly being organized throughout the country, replacing the previous written system. A constitutional amendment that was approved in 2005 allows the president to hold office for two consecutive 4-year terms.
Drug Cartels
In 1933, after Colombian security forces killed the Medellin cartel leader Pablo Escobar in December, random acts of violence linked with his organization declined as the "cartels " were broken into multiple and smaller trafficking organizations that competed against each other in the drug trade. Guerrillas and paramilitary groups also entered into drug trafficking as a way to finance their military operations.
Pastrana Administration
The administration of Conservative [[@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrés_Pastrana_Arango|President Andres Pastrana]] (term: 1998-2002) faced increased national attacks by the FARC and the
Uribe Administration
Independent [[@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Álvaro_Uribe|President Alvaro Uribe]] was elected in May 2002 with a goal to restore security in Colombia. Uribe released a national security strategy in the fall to 2002. It employed political, economic and military means to weaken all illegal armed groups. The Uribe government offered to establish a peace agreement with these groups with the condition that they would agree to an unbroken cease-fire and to end drug trafficking and kidapping.
The Colombian United Self-Defense Forces (AUC) paramilitary group entered into a peace agreement with the government that has led to the discharge of over 31,000 AUC members in December 2003. More than 20,000 members of the FARC, AUC, ELN, and other illegal armed groups have individually surrendered their arms. President Uribe signed the Justice and Peace Law, which provides reduced punishments for the discharged if they renounce violence and return illegal assets, in July 2005
Since 2000, the FARC has not carried out large scale multi-front attacks, although it has mounted some operations that indicate it has not yet been broken -- including the December 2009 kidnapping and killing of the governor of the department of Caqueta.
In May 2006, President Uribe was reelected with 62% of the vote. In congressional elections, the three leading pro-Uribe parties (National Unity, Conservative Party, and Radical Change) won clear majorities in both houses of Congress.
Colombian leaders presented a new strategy to consolidate gains under Plan Colombia, which eventually became known as the National Consolidation Plan (Plan Nacional de Consolidación, PNC) in January 2007.
Relationship With USA
Colombia
Plans For The Future
Although much attention has been focused on the security aspects of Colombia's situation, the Uribe government also is making significant efforts on issues such as expanding international trade, supporting alternate means of development, strengthening rule of law, protecting human rights, promoting governance, and reducing poverty. Colombia is currently holding elections for a new president and the results of this election will be on May 31, 2010.
Colombia History Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znMoaeU6YlE
Timeline
Here is a link that leads to a timeline of major events in Colombian history up to 2002
http://www.facts-about.org.uk/history-and-events-timeline-colombia.htm
Here are some links for further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Colombia
http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country_studies/colombia/HISTORY.html
Culture
Cali’s Fair
Home to almost three million people, the most important cultural event in Cali, Colombia is the Cali’s Fair or La Feria de Cali, which occurs from December 25th to January 1st. It is a celebration of the region’s cultural identity and is known for its Salsa marathon, horse riding parades, and dance parties. This is a fair that has been celebrated since 1957, from December 25th to December 30th.
Carnaval de Barranquilla
During February 13th-16th, you will find the streets of Barranquilla crowded with people having a great time. 4 days before Ash Wednesday, it is largely recognized as one of the world’s largest Carnivals.
Here you will find pictures, video, additional links and information about the city of Barranquilla. Barranquilla is a wonderful city that's rich in culture, music and life.
During the Barranquilla Carnival, the people make dazzling parades of colorful costumes, salsa, music, and dances. There are two lucky people who will be chosen a few months before the parade to act as a queen and a king. The Guacherna is on the Friday night before the Carnival week and it is a lantern parade with dancers in costumes that starts a bunch of parades. Saturday features the Battle of Flowers float parade while the float on Sunday is dedicated to the traditional folklore groups from the shore of the Magdalena River. There are also dances like the Garabato where dancers wearing straw hats and white face paint perform an elaborate dance about life and death. On Monday, live bands have a competition for the Gold Congo prize at the Orchestras Festival. When all the dancing calms down, the mysterious figure of Joselito Carnical disappears with the ashes on the last day of the carnival which is Tuesday. Both sober and drunken tears are shed.
Tourism
Colombia is a current nation, with a network that takes benefit of its natural resources and human capital. On Colombia it has amazing site-seeing locations; all the environments of the tropics are present: glaciers, beaches, plains, rainforests, and deserts. It is complicated to choose from among the many destinations Colombia has to offer. But whatever the decision is, there is a magnificent journey coming up.
The main destinations are San Andres, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santander, Medellin, Bahia Solano, Nuqui, Café triangle, Bogota D.C., Cali and Valle del Cauca, and Amazon. The total amount of tourist each year is about 1.27 million outsiders visited Colombia in 2007, up from 1.05 million in 2006 and only 567,000 in 2002. The 2007 figure was in line with the 1.3 million foreign visitors the administration predicted.
HOLIDAYS IN COLOMBIA!
This is a link to a Calender that tells about all the traditional national holidays celebrated in Colombia.
http://www.colombia-sa.com/varios/varios-fiestas-in.html
Religion
Until the new constitution in 1991, Roman Catholicism was Colombia's official religion. According to federal law, "there is no official or state religion", but it does add that the State is "not atheist or agnostic, nor indifferent to Colombians' religious sentiment." Some interpret this law with the meaning that the Roman Catholic Church keeps a privileged position; however, the 1994 constitutional court decision declared unconstitutional any official government reference to religious characterizations of the country. According to a national poll distributed by the nation's leading newspaper, 'El Tiempo ' , 81% of the people are Roman Catholic. About 14% belong to other Christian denominations. Other religious faiths or movements include Judaism, Islam, Animism, other various beliefs, and atheism. A number of Afro-Colombians, practice a religion which combines elements of Catholicism with African animism.
Dress
Formality increases as you move inland with clothing. It is a priority to adopt conservative business attire inland. Suits in dark colors are preferred. Women should dress conservatively and modestly: a suit or dress. Casual and traditional attire is acceptable outside the business world.
Behavior
In Colombia, business people typically prefer a relaxed conversation before business. Traditionally, lunch is the main meal of the day and a popular choice for a business meal. Likewise, the person who invites guests to the meal will pay for it at the restaurant, but sometimes they fight over who pays the check as a courtesy. When Colombians toast, they let the host make a toast first, then they might make another toast themselves. When visiting a Colombian, avoid propping your feet up on a table or other piece of furniture. A visiting woman must also be careful about making any glances or gestures that might be considered flirtatious.
Communication
When doing business, handshaking is the common greeting. Colombians take a long time while greeting because they feel it conveys respect for the other person. However, when a Colombian is among friends the typical greeting is a hug, or the abrazo. When addressing a Colombian, use their direct title (ex: a Ph.D or a pediatrician is called a Doctor). Titles are important and should always be printed clearly on business cards. In Colombia, teachers prefer the title Professor, engineers go by Ingeniero, architects are Arquitecto, and lawyers are called Abogado. People who do not have professional titles should be adressed as Mrs., Miss, or Mr. In spanish these are:
- Mr. = Senor
- Mrs. = Senora
- Miss = Senorita
When having a casual conversation, Colombians love to talk about coffee , history, culture, soccer (or football), bullfighting , and gold museums. Colombians do not like to talk about drug traffic, politics, and religion.Houses
Here are some pictures of typical Columbian houses:
Music
The country of Colombia has a variety of music . The people in the different parts of the country are linked with different kinds of Colombian music. The major kind of music in Colombia is the African music, the European music, and the music that originally belongs to the country of Colombia. The Andinan region is famous for the sort of music called Bambuco. It is the music connected with the farmers of the country. The Atlantic coastal region is well-known for the type of Colombian music commonly referred to as Vallenato. Salsa is a style of music that has originated in New York by the combination of the school of music termed Afro-Caribbean and the rock music and Jazz created in North America. Colombia has produced a couple of good salsa artists like Alvaro jose Arroyo. The different varieties of music that you get to hear in Colombia toss a light on the cultural multiplicity of the country.
Columbia Culture Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGNxA4CcVfo
Sports Culture
In Colombia, soccer (or football in Spanish) is a big part of their culture. Their soccer team is nicknamed Los Cafeteros (The Coffee Makers in Spanish) because of the major role Colombia has in the Coffee production industry. The team was founded in 1924 and has affiliated with FIFA since 1936 It is run by the Colombian Football Federation and is a member of CONMEBOL , and their team captain is Mario Yepes. Arnoldo Alberto Iguarán Zúñiga is the team's top scorer, and other notable players on the team include Juan Pablo Ángel, Faustino Asprilla, Iván Córdoba, Óscar Córdoba, Alfredo Di Stefano, Andrés Escobar, Giovanny Hernández, Sergio Herrera, René Higuita, Aly Faryd Camilo Mondragón, Luis Amaranto Perea, Freddy Rincón, Carlos Valderrama, and Adolfo Valencia. They won the Central American Cup in 1946, a cup they would win again in 1970, and won the American Cup in 2001. Their original jersey colors are yellow, blue, and red, and their alternate jersey colors are blue, white, and yellow. They currently rank 34 in the FIFA rankings (2010) . Colombia's home soccer stadiums are Estadio El Campín, Estadio Atanasio Girardot, and Estadio Roberto Melendez
Here is a video that shows how Colombia's soccer team made history in Buenos Aries, Argentina when they won 5-0 against Argentina.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4X7QIPM9hQ&feature=related
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